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SEOUL, September 11, 2017 – The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced that it completed the establishment of Fine Dust and Ozone Alarm System and started its operation starting from September.

If the levels of fine dust and ozone are higher than the environment level, the Korean government issues an alert. With the system, the alarm is sent to the citizens within seven minutes through a mobile instant message, public LED billboards and the city government-owned publicity platforms such as the website, twitter and Seoul N Tower.

Before the development of this system, the SMG notified the alert in consecutive order: It sent a press release to media outlets and then posted it on the air quality information website. Lastly it sent instant messages to the citizens and faxes to public organizations, and posted the alert on its mobile apps, social media pages and public billboards. It took 30 minutes on average.

The SMG expects this alarm system will especially help fine dust sensitive and vulnerable populations – as the elderly, children, pregnant women, and respiratory, cardiac disease patients, and people who work outside – take cautionary actions.

This alarm system is operated in close cooperation with the Research Institute of Public Health & Environment that measures the air pollution in Seoul. Linked to the system, the measurement is sent in real time to city officials in charge if it reaches close to the environment level. Then they quickly sum up the situation and operate the system with just one click.

Within seven minutes, the alarm is sent at the same time to autonomous municipal offices, schools, media companies, and the citizens who applied for the alarm service. Then the alarm is distributed by autonomous municipal offices to daycare centers, senior citizens’ centers, apartment complexes, hospitals and even construction sites in each municipal area. Approximately 230,000 citizens are able to get this alarm.

The SMG simplifies the application process of the alarm service, and encourages the fine dust sensitive and vulnerable populations to apply for the service. People had to subscribe the online membership for the Seoul Air Quality Information Website before applying for the service in the past. However, now anyone interested may just make a call to the 120 Dasan Call Center or dial 02-3789-8701 for the application. Now, elderly citizens who have difficulties in using the Internet or mobile devices also easily apply for the service.